“Government probably bred those things to kill black boys. First they sent in drugs, then they sent guns and now they’re sending monsters in to kill us.”
Moses- Attack the Block
I’m a huge fan of Desus and Mero, so when I heard The Kid Mero was going to be making his feature film debut, I was excited. The premise of Vampires vs. the Bronx also had me hooked. It felt like Lost Boys meets Attack the Block. Unfortunately, the whole exercise felt a little contrived.
Vampire films that don’t take themselves too seriously are my favorite. Films like What We Do in the Shadows and Fright Night are some of my favorites. Vampires vs. the Bronx fits this mold nicely. I’m also a sucker for young teens doing cool stuff. Properties like The Goonies, Stranger Things, and Super 8 will always pull me in no matter how poorly the execution. Vampires vs. the Bronx isn’t poorly executed as much as it’s overly executed.
Director Oz Rodriguez had directed one other film and a ton of TV. His direction here is stout. He uses the camera to his advantage, and I love how intertwined social media into this film. But as a writer, he’s not that good yet. The script is fun, and the humor hits the mark most of the time, but the characters aren’t compelling outside of Coco Jones’s character Rita. It’s frustrating that she isn’t given enough screen time.
The cast is diverse, and it doesn’t feel forced. This is what the Bronx looks like, and I applaud this. But the strained allegory of gentrification is hamfisted. There is little to no nuance here. The film isn’t necessarily preachy, but the film’s thesis might as well flash on the screen every time a vampire appears. A film like Attack the Block does a marvelous job of balancing social commentary and entertaining the audience. There’s a reason storytelling is more effective when it’s told in parable form.
Jaden Michael, Gerald Jones, and Gregory Diaz are all great, but no one has the charisma of a John Boyega. I mentioned Coco Jones earlier, and I would have loved to have seen a version of this film where she’s the group leader. The Kid Mero as Tony was fun, and they took big risks with his character that I didn’t see coming.
I have many thoughts on this film, and I could write forever critiquing it, but I enjoyed it. The vampires are scary, and the comedy is on point. There is no doubt that the cast is talented, and Oz Rodriguez will be an accomplished director. I was disappointed because the story and subject matter are ripe to be a classic. As talented as the cast is, it needed a special lead to carry it further. Vampires vs. the Bronx isn’t a bad film. It’s a well made and fun flick. I just wish it would have had a little more depth.
